[Archived] News Article -> Derby Date With Destiny

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[caption id=attachment_1845" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image courtesy of Matthew Wilkinson][/caption]Rovers head into the Lancashire derby against Bolton on Saturday knowing that anything less than a win could mean that they drop into the relegation places. The pressure on the team has increased due to the defeat against Manchester City last Monday, and Rovers sit just one point clear of the relegation zone. This will be a season-defining game for Rovers: a win and Rovers will be on course to retain their Premier League status; however, a draw or a loss could deal a fatal blow to Rovers' hopes of survival.

There is, however, reason for hope. The performance against Manchester City was full of passion and commitment, and Rovers were unlucky to lose the match. The players seem totally behind the manager and no one can fault the effort that they put in against Manchester City. They must now show that same passion, commitment and desire against Bolton and desperately need to show more quality in the final third of the pitch. This, combined with a bit of luck, could see Rovers win their first match in eleven. Bolton have only picked up one point from their last 10 away games, although this may be a bad omen as time and again teams on bad runs have come to Ewood and got results.

Looking at the battle to avoid relegation, it is now really down to five teams: Rovers, Blackpool, West Ham, Wigan and Wolverhampton Wanderers. A few weeks ago it seemed that 42–43 points would be needed to stay up this season. However, with four games to go it now seems likely that 39 points would be enough to stay up. Rovers' goal difference is superior to that of all the relegation rivals, so a win against Bolton would not only give a huge confidence boost to the players, it will also take the team to within touching distance of safety.

Early team news for Rovers is that Junior Hoilett is rated as 50/50 to recover from the slight hamstring strain that he sustained against Birmingham. Roque Santa Cruz is also a doubt after he picked up an injury during training, while David Dunn is out after picking up a calf strain. Meanwhile, Steven N'Zonzi returns from suspension and Keith Andrews is available for selection after overcoming injury. Bolton have injury doubts over Daniel Sturridge, Mark Davies and Gretar Steinsson.

At his pre-match press conference, manager Steve Kean acknowledged that Rovers' league position was "very serious", adding that Rovers "are in a position where we need to get points along with other teams" and that players are "determined and know what has to be done". Kean also said that he was very confident that Rovers would beat the drop.

Paul Robinson has also been talking ahead of the Bolton game. "We can't keep saying that we didn't get a fair result," he said. "Performances haven't been great for weeks and results have shown that. First of all we've got to concentrate on getting out of this situation we are in and securing our Premier League survival. We've put ourselves in a predicament far too close to it than where we wanted it to be. You look at where we are: results aren't going according to the form guide and it is getting close down there. I think that the performance on Monday night against Manchester City was a lot better, and I genuinely do think that we deserved more than we got out of the game, but we can't keep saying that, we do need to start winning matches now. It has been an uphill battle, we've put ourselves in a situation that isn't ideal, a situation none of us want to be in."

Robinson also acknowledged that should the club be relegated, then his future at the club would not be guaranteed. When asked about relegation, he said: "As long as Blackburn Rovers is a Premier League football team I will be here. I will deal with that when it comes, but I don't think it will be the case."

Tickets for the Bolton game are still available, priced at £10 for adults and £5 for juniors, so why not get down to Ewood and roar the team to victory in this crucial game.

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